1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an output method and an apparatus using the same, wherein received data is determined to allow switching between different control languages.
2. Related Background Art
An output apparatus such as a printer apparatus (e.g., an ink-jet or laser beam printer) generally has a control instruction group (to be referred to hereinafter as a control language) for controlling the output apparatus. The output apparatus can draw characters and figures on the basis of the control language. Since different control languages have different instruction codes for recognizing instructions in accordance with different types of printer apparatus, a correct output character or figure cannot be obtained unless a control language suitable for a currently used printer apparatus is transmitted. For this reason, control languages used in other printer apparatus are installed as emulation languages in addition to the language assigned to each printer apparatus, so that a plurality of control languages can be interpreted.
In a printer apparatus installed with a plurality of control languages, a desired control language is manually selected at an operation panel or the like in the printer apparatus.
When an output apparatus for interpreting a plurality of these control languages is assumed, the output apparatus cannot automatically determine the control language of the received data. Even if the output apparatus can automatically determine the control language of the received data, its accuracy cannot be evaluated.
In a recent apparatus of this type, a detachable program storage medium is prepared in addition to an installed first control program, and a second control program having a different operation from that of the first control program is stored in the detachable program storage medium. Therefore, the first control program (i.e., the installed program) and the second control program can be selectively used.
Most of the second control programs are so-called emulation programs for determining data of a command system different from that of the first control program and executing the program. When such a second control program is used, all existing application programs on the host side which could not have previously used the recording apparatus can now use this recording apparatus by the use of the second control program without modifying the existing application programs. For example, a new high-performance type command system of the first control program and a conventional command system having poor performance can be used.
In the above conventional example, when recording and printing are to be performed on the basis of data suitable for the second command system supported by the second control program, a host computer sends a control program switching command to a recording apparatus in advance and then sends data of the second command system.
Assume that a storage medium which stores a third control program for supporting a third command system is attached against the will of an operator since the storage medium which stores the second control program is detachable. In this case, the command system supported by the control program stored in the detachable storage medium is inconsistent with the command system of print data sent from the host computer. As a result, a desired print cannot be obtained, resulting in inconvenience.